The present invention relates to weather strips operatively coupled along circumferential edges of door openings of automobile bodies, which elastically engage doors when the doors are in closed positions to seal inside and outside of the automobiles.
As shown in FIG. 5, a weather strip 10 for automobiles is operatively coupled along a circumferential edge of an opening of a back door 100 of an automobile. The weather strip 10 for automobiles elastically engages the back door 100 when the back door 100 is in a closed position.
As shown in FIG. 6, the weather strip 10 for automobiles includes an installation base member 11 and a hollow seal member 12, which are integrally molded. The installation base member 11 has a substantially U-shaped cross-section in which a flange 101 formed along the circumferential edges of the opening of the back door 100 is inserted. The hollow seal member 12 on a connecting wall 11c of the installation base member 11 elastically engages the back door 100 to seal inside and outside of the automobile.
A first side wall 11a and a second side wall 11b of the installation base member 11 have a plurality of convexes 13 inside for holding the flange 101. A small lip 14 and a seal lip 15 are formed on a top end and an outside of the first side wall 11a, respectively. A decorative lip 16 is formed on an outside of the second side wall 11b. Sponge 17 for water stop is operatively coupled inside the connecting wall 11c of the installation base member 11. The sponge 17 touches and wraps up a top end of the flange 101 for preventing rust and entrance of water. The installation base member 11 has a core 18 embedded therein for reinforcement.
The hollow seal member 12 of the weather strip 10 for automobiles, having a round-shaped cross-section, is in common use in consideration of noise insulation performance, prevention of raindrops falling inside the automobile, and external appearance; whereas, a hollow seal member 12 shown in FIG. 6, having a shape of a pantograph in cross section, has been used (see, for example, FIG. 8 of Japanese unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-100010). This is because the hollow seal member 12 which has the shape of pantograph is more excellent in sealing performance than the round shape to deal with back doors 100 made of resin and to be applicable to laterally openable doors.
Unfortunately, however, as shown in FIG. 7, the hollow seal member 12 having the shape of the pantograph has caused problems that a wide channel 51 having a shape of a pail appears between the back door 100 and the hollow seal member 12 while the back door 100 (or the laterally openable door) makes elastic contact with the hollow seal member 12, and water 60 collects in the channel 51. As the door 100 is opened, the water 60 thus collected drips and trickles into the automobile or splashes on passengers or luggage. Especially, when the hollow seal member 12 bends and a bent point 12P rises in a direction 70 shown by an arrow, the channel 51 appears which is large in size and has the shape of the pail. Accordingly, the structure is not favorable. The direction 70 is directed to a side of the back door 100 (outer-cabin side), and the bent point 12P is on a side of the hollow seal member 12 on which the channel 51 appears.
In this connection, FIG. 2 to FIG. 4 of Japanese unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-100010 disclose to form a convex wall which covers a top end of the hollow seal member 12. The structure prevents appearance of the wide channel in which the water 60 collects.
The convex wall on the hollow seal member 12, which makes elastic contact with the door 100, has a shape of an arc. Accordingly, depending of an angle in which the door 100 approaches, a part of the hollow seal member 12 other than the top end may collide with the door 100 prior to the top end. The structure causes the hollow seal member 12 to slip off.
As the hollow seal member 12 slips off, a sufficient sealing function is not performed and the water may enter the inner-cabin side. If worst comes worst, the weather strip for automobiles may come off the flange.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide the weather strips for automobiles capable of preventing slipping-off of the hollow seal members and performing the sufficient sealing function.